Stretched Molasses Candy

 Remember the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder? In one of them, the children make molasses candy. As a child, I was enthralled with the books, and begged my mother to let me make molasses candy. I seem to recall making it from the description in the book, although it is also possible that my mother found a modern recipe, to make sure I would be successful with my venture. I do remember eating the candy, and feeling a connection to children who enjoyed that same candy long before me.

I liked making this recipe, but I have very little experience with making candy. I wish I had studied up on what the right temp is for making soft molasses candy. This candy is hard as a rock. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It actually tastes great. But I value the original teeth I have, and hard candy is not as easy on the old jaw as it used to be. Were I to make this again, I'd go for the soft molasses. 

I found that you have to work very quickly after taking the mixture off the heat. You have to pull the candy (with buttered hands) basically while it is still wicked hot. Otherwise, it hardens almost instantly and there you are, with a sheet of molasses rather than cute little bite-sized pieces. I took half the candy, folded it up while hot, pulled it out and folded it and pulled it out again, repeating several times. Then I took a large knife and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Sadly, the other half of the candy hardened in the pan while I worked with the first half.  I mean, it tasted fine, you just had to break off chunks of it, sort of like peanut brittle, instead of shaping it and cutting it like I did the first half of the candy.